Healdsburg officials have given the thumbs up to a plan to create Class 2 bike lanes on a stretch of Grove Street between the Foss Creek Path and Dry Creek Road.
The bike lanes are part of a series of proposed roadway improvements along Grove Street north of Grant Street. Residents have expressed concern about the lack of continuous sidewalks on Grove Street, as well as unsafe traffic speeds.
The remainder of the Grove Street corridor will be designated a Class 3 bike facility, meaning bicycles will share travel lanes with cars. In an effort to slow speeds, the project will include traffic calming measures such as chicanes, which are curb extensions that require vehicles to follow an S-shaped – rather than straight — path.
SCBC, which advocates for bike facilities that are suitable for riders of all ages and abilities, is disappointed that the city is only recommending Class 2 bike lanes on a portion of Grove Street, rather than the length of the corridor. Class 3 facilities are recommended only on streets with a maximum speed limit of 20 mph. While Healdsburg city officials believe the new traffic calming measures will slow vehicle speeds, there are currently no plans to officially lower the speed limit on Grove, where the posted speed limit is 30 mph.
However, SCBC is pleased that Healdsburg, encouraged by local active transportation advocates, will build Class 2 bike lanes to connect the Foss Creek Path with Dry Creek Road. Despite some hesitation, the City Council agreed to move forward with the proposal, which involves removing about 17 on-street parking spaces on Grove Street.
Visit the City of Healdsburg’s website for more information on the Grove Street plan.